2 Things You’ll Find in Every Seminarian’s Pocket

Cultivating the seeds of a priestly vocation begins with rich soil. And the soil of seminary life is fundamentally prayer. That’s why, whether you see a seminarian wearing his “crest attire” on campus or his House Cassock at Mass, you’ll always find two things in his pocket– a Rosary and the Vade Mecum. Both are constant companions and essential elements in a college seminarians’ prayer life.

‘Vade Mecum’ is Latin for ‘Go with me.’ The Vade Mecum for St. Joseph College Seminary is a 4” x 5” prayer book which contains the formal and devotional prayers utilized at the seminary throughout the day. It also contains an Ad Lectórem (or forward) to help one understand and master the accents and pronunciation of Latin prayers. This is especially helpful to first-year seminarians. But you may find it helpful, too!

One of the beautiful things about the Catholic faith is the universality of our many prayers. Though some of the prayers in our Vade Mecum may not be familiar to you, we know you’ll find them meaningful. You don’t have to be a seminarian to make a morning offering, to ask for intercession for an exam or safe travels, or to pray to know your vocation in life. All of these prayers, and more, can be found in the Vade Mecum, along with a seminary favorite, the Prayer of Thanksgiving After Holy Mass, which includes giving thanks for the Precious Body and Blood and asking that it “be unto me the armor of faith and the shield of good purpose.”

We invite you to delve deeper into our Vade Mecum to better understand the prayer life of our seminarians…and perhaps enhance your own.

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The Catholic faith in North Carolina is growing, and the need for priests to serve our growing flock is great. On March 19, 2016, Bishop Peter J. Jugis founded St. Joseph College Seminary to form priests in the diocese of Charlotte, among the people and parishes they will one day serve.

Subscribe to Seminibus

Seminibus offers an inside look at life in the seminary with “seeds” and stories about our seminarians and formators, fun facts about our faith and formation, progress on seminary construction, and previews of upcoming videos and events delivered right to your inbox!